1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation method, and more particularly to an image formation method using a reversible the thermosensitive recording material which has the property that the transparency or color tone can reversibly be changed depending upon the temperature thereof.
2. Discussion of Background
Recently attention has been paid to a reversible thermosensitive recording material capable of temporarily recording images thereon and erasing the same therefrom when such images become unnecessary. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications 54-119377 and 55-154198, there are conventionally known reversible thermosensitive recording materials in which an organic low-molecular-weight material such as a higher fatty acid is dispersed in a matrix resin such as a vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resin.
However, this kind of reversible thermosensitive recording material has the shortcomings that it becomes difficult to accurately perform the image formation and erasure in the repeated operation for an extended period of time. This is because when heat and pressure is repeatedly applied to the recording material using heat application means such as a thermal head, dirt and dust are electrostatically attached to the surfaces of the reversible thermosensitive recording material and the thermal head, and a trace of the components contained in the surface portion of the recording material is peeled off and again attached to the surfaces of the recording material and the thermal head.
To solve the above-mentioned problem, a cleaning apparatus for a card-type recording medium is proposed as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications 3-296981 and 3-296982. More specifically, the surface of the card-type recording medium can be cleaned by a cleaning member which is detachably disposed at a specific position in the image recording apparatus for the card-type recording medium. In addition, there is conventionally known as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 57-89992 a method of erasing images formed in a reversible thermosensitive recording material by merely immersing it in hot water. This method is not particularly intended to obtain the cleaning effect by the immersion of the recording material in hot water.
However, the reversible thermosensitive recording material cannot be repeatedly used with efficiency for an extended period of time in practice by the above-mentioned conventional methods.